In 2018 many laptops noticeably increased in speed. Our website has already published several reviews of mobile PC processors Kaby Lake Refresh — now even in ultra slim and ultra light ultrabooks are exclusively used 4-core and 8-thread chips. It is obvious that against the total upgrade low-voltage chips was soon to change portable gaming system. To change dramatically. Well, in April, Intel has finally introduced a mobile shestiyaderny. Details get acquainted, probably, with the most salable model — Core i7-8750H — for example, 17-inch laptop MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF.

MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF

About the Intel Coffee Lake-H

Now gaming notebooks will use a minimum of 8-thread processors. In early April Intel unveiled seven mobile CPU belongs to a generation of Coffee Lake. Among them, two “Zeon” — Xeon E-2176M and Xeon E-2186M on the basis of which will soon appear portable workstations. For the first time among notebooks “stones” there was a family of Intel Core i9 — at the moment it includes only one model. List of all mobile chips shown in the screenshot below.

Thus, as we know, nothing new in processors Coffee Lake not: the main thing in this generation, of course, increase cores and threads. Read more about what’s new in used coffee chips, you can read here. Note that a pure Quad-core processors thing of the past. Thus, a Series of Core i5 generation Coffee Lake now supports Hyper-Threading technology, that is now chips have eight threads. We see that mobile CPUs are developing differently than the desktop counterparts of the same generation. Core i5 desktop, as we know, does not support Hyper-Threading, but have a full six cores. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that laptops released just a few models of Coffee Lake. In the gaming devices, we did meet only three chips their detailed specifications are indicated in the table below.

Core i5-8300H

Core i5-7300HQ

Core i7-8750H

Core i7-7700HQ

Core i9-8950HK

Core i7-7820HK

Generation

Coffee Lake

Kaby Lake

Coffee Lake

Kaby Lake

Coffee Lake

Kaby Lake

Production technology, nm

14

14

14

14

14

14

Cores/threads

4/8

4/4

6/12

4/8

6/12

4/8

Base frequency, GHz

2,3

2,5

2,2

2,8

2,9

2,9

Max Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency, GHz

4

3,5

4,1

3,8

4,8

3,9

Acceleration

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

L3 cache MB

8

6

9

6

12

8

Memory support

DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133

DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600

DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133

DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600

DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133

DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600

Integrated graphics

UHD Graphics 630

UHD Graphics 630

UHD Graphics 630

UHD Graphics 630

UHD Graphics 630

UHD Graphics 630

Max. the graphics core frequency, GHz

1

1

1,1

1,1

1,2

1,1

PCI Express 3.0

16

16

16

16

16

16

TDP, watts

35-45

35-45

35-45

35-45

45

45

Official price $

250

250

395

378

583

378

In 2017, when choosing a laptop gamer could expect a selection of about one and the same. All manufacturers used, in fact, only three processor Kaby Lake. Laptops budget graphics came with a Core i5-or Core i7 7300HQ-7700HQ. Expensive devices with graphics of GeForce GTX and GeForce GTX 1070 1080 was used mostly Core i7-7700HQ. In a very “monsters”, sometimes equipped with SLI-GPU arrays were used Core i7-7820HK with an unlocked multiplier. In a few cases was used the processor Core i7-7920HQ. The choice of CPUs was over. With the advent of chip generation Coffee Lake situation has not fundamentally changed, but at least the chips are updated. To replace Core i5-7300HQ and Core i7-7700HQ came Core i5-8300H and Core i7-8750H respectively, and the Core i7-7820HK was superseded by the Core i9-8950HK. Model Core i5-8400H and Core i7-8850H working at higher frequencies and supporting the Intel vPro technology in gaming devices, we are unlikely to meet.

If you compare the processors in the “then and now”, the strongest of all, in my opinion, stands out the model Core i5-8300H. Compared to the Core i5-7300HQ not tolkovaniyami twice the number of threads, and significantly increased the volume cache of the third level and clock frequency in Boost mode. It does not change the cost of the processor. Other mobile Coffee Lake, as seen, are more than their predecessors, especially models of the Core i9. Gaming notebooks based on Core i7-7820HK was never available, but a version with a Core i9-8950HK will be even more expensive. But now the difference between “coffee” Core i9 and Core i7 is visible, that is, to the naked eye.

The processor name

Nominal frequency

The maximum frequency Turbo Boost 2.0

1 core

2 cores

3 core

4 cores

5 cores

6 cores

Core i5-7300HQ

2,5

3,5

3,3

3,3

3,1

—

—

Core i5-8300H

2,3

4

3,9

3,9

3,9

—

—

Core i7-7700HQ

2,8

3,8

3,6

3,6

3,4

—

—

Core i7-8750H

2,2

4,1

4,1

3,9

3,9

3,9

3,9

Draws another point: Intel Core i5-8300H and Core i7-8750H very low nominal clock rate of 2.3 and 2.2 GHz, respectively. Those same Core i5-7300HQ and Core i7-7700HQ this parameter is much higher. However, chips Coffee Lake is a noticeably more aggressive Boost frequencies. Now, without any testing, it is clear that if in laptop with Core i5-8300H or Core i7-8750H’ll be fine with the cooling then the new chips will be significantly faster than their counterparts, not only due to the increase in the number of cores/threads. Now this must be progress!

Specifications, equipment and

It so happened that the first gaming laptop with a processor Coffee Lake, who visited our testlab, was the model MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF. In the sale you’ll find different configurations of this computer. For example, I got a version with a Full HD screen, but in a modification of the 4K display. Nevertheless, all MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF installed Core i7-8750H and GeForce GTX 1070. Detailed specifications of the laptop shown in the table below.

On the test version, which has a whopping 32 GB of RAM. Please note that the use of RAM standard DDR4-2400, although the memory controller processors Coffee Lake allows you to work with DDR4-2666. For a wired network in my laptop meets the Gigabit controller the Killer E2500, and wireless connection — Intel Wireless-AC 9650. New Wi-Fi module supports the standards IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and a maximum bandwidth of up to 1.73 Gbps, and Bluetooth 5.0. For the first time this controller has been presented in the end of last year. The model MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider 4K, for example, use a less powerful chip Killer Wireless-AC 1435.

Included with the laptop is an external power supply is 230 W and a mass of about 750 g.

MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF installed a home version of Windows 10 and a set of proprietary tools, more about which you can read here.

Appearance and input device

Model MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF looks almost no different from GE73VR Raider MSI and MSI RGB 7RF 7RF GE63VR Raider 4K. Laptop cover and the area around the keyboard made from aluminum the rest of the body is made from high quality matte plastic. Your laptop will always have to care, because on metal surfaces of visible dust and fingerprints, which would be nice to wash.

On the cover: “Rider”, the logo of series MSI gaming and two l-shaped strips, which, like keyboard, equipped with RGB-backlit. The lid can be opened approximately 130 degrees. The design uses a fairly tight loop is to open the laptop with one hand will not work, but the screen is positioned very well and is not loose during games or while typing.

The bottom of the laptop is equipped with six grills through which air is supplied to the cooling fans. Threads already heated air leaving the case through the vents located behind and at the sides.

On the table of the MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF stands firmly due to the four rubber legs.

The back tested model any items not provided. Led status indicators laptop (battery level, the activity of the drives and a wireless communication module) are placed on the front panel of the chassis. Next to the power button there is another indicator. When working GeForce GTX 1070 it glows white, and when working the built in GPU in red.

All interfaces have a “Rider” on the sides. Displayed on the left Ethernet, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0 A-type to USB 3.1 C-type and two 3.5 mm mini-Jack. Here is a loop for a Kensington lock. The right notebook there are a connector for external power supply, pair USB 3.0 A-type and card reader. All USB connectors A-type are highlighted in red use the laptop in the dark becomes much easier.

The keyboard in this model needs no introduction as the company Steelseries, in which it was created. In terms of ergonomics keyboard MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF haven’t changed a bit compared to what we have seen in the laptops of the previous generation. Exactly the same is used, for example, the model MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider 4K. Play and type messages on the laptop is very convenient. Applies time-tested mechanism of the diaphragm type, the main keys are big (15 × 15 mm), the distance between them is 3.5 mm, which is enough not to miss the right keys. Windows button traditionally (for laptops MSI) is located to the right of the space bar, not the left. However, for those who want to use a more familiar option, provided the corresponding setting in the BIOS. Shift, Enter and Ctrl-left are what they should be in the gaming laptop — a large, easily identifiable by touch. The arrow buttons do not have the smallest digital unit is not cut. Pressing felt quite clearly, backlash and false positives I had found.

Keyboard MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF has a three-tier independent RGB-LEDs — each button can glow their color regardless of which color in the neighboring. To configure the button settings, you can create additional keyboard shortcuts to adjust the backlight in the application SteelSeries Engine 3. Personally, I liked the option with a separate illuminated function buttons: press the Fn key and those buttons are highlighted, the combination of Fn which allows to change brightness, volume, touchpad status (enabled/disabled) and so on. Convenient, as illuminated USB ports.

The touchpad is also comfortable to handle. The size of the touch area is quite large — 110 × 62 mm, has support for multiple simultaneous touches and gestures. The buttons are not tight — they are much easier to play computer card games like “Quint” and Hearthstone.

It is a pity that MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF used a simple 30-Hertz web camera with a maximum resolution of 720p. She gives a very noisy picture is almost always to stream and record letsplay camera exactly the.

The internal structure and capabilities upgrade

In reviews of the MSI notebook I always praised the manufacturer for the fact that he never limits access to components in their devices. Here and in the MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF reach macplay incredibly simple — you need to Unscrew 10 screws and carefully remove the plastic bottom.

Platform, the new model has not changed. Using the same mother Board, like the MSI GE73VR Raider RGB 7RF. And exactly the same cooling system with seven teletrapami and two fans like the MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider 4K. For the removal of heat from the mobile GeForce GTX 1070 answer four copper tube, the biggest of them at the same time cools the power elements of the CPU. For cooling a Core i7-8750H allocated to two heat pipes, and one telotroch removes heat from the power subsystem GPU. Laptops with Intel Core i7-7700HQ WITH this worked quite effectively. Let’s see how the situation will change with 4-core.

In the test sample has 32 GB of RAM in two modules of Samsung M471A2K43CB1-CRC, which operates at a frequency of 2400 MHz with delays 17-17-17-39. The disk subsystem consists of SSD TOSHIBA THNSNJ256G8NY 256 GB and terabyte hard drive HGST HTS721010A9E630.

As you can see, in the near future, the user is unlikely to have any desire to change anything in the laptop. However, the device allows you to install a second M. 2-2280 drive format. Hard drive over time, it is also possible to change the SSD SATA connector 6 Gbit/s. MSI GE73 Raider RGB 8RF supports the installation of 2.5-inch drives with thickness up to 9.5 mm.